FOIL
,—a term used in HARE HUNTING. When, during the chase, a hare, after a head or double, runs over the ground she has ran before, she is then said to be running the foil, and with strict truth, for nothing can so much foil the HOUNDS as a chase of this description. Old hares, who have speed enough to break away, and get considerably a-head, almost invariably throw themselves out to the right or left, double, and QUAT; particularly if a hedge-row, hedge, fern, furze, or any kind of covert presents itself favourably for the purpose. The HOUNDS continuing to run the scent to the spot where she made her head, over-run the hare, and having no continuance of scent, are of course at fault; during which delay of trying forward, trying back, making a cast to the right, then a cast to the left, the HARE slips into her foil; by repeatedly running of which with the same instinctive sagacity, she as repeatedly saves her life; without which, and many similar innate shifts to avoid their numerous enemies, there would not long be a HARE left in the country.